On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Loading...
This was a hard one for me to review.
Once going to Ruchi Palace, they really raised the bar and made it hard for me where to place Clay Pit.
Clay Pit is a little more expensive, but the food wasn't as spicy here. Which can be good! We shared a Lamb Korma dish that was so creamy and smooth. The other half of our party shared the Chicken Tikka Masala dish. I was disappointed when they just served us the two dishes with rice and walked away. Where the hell was the naan?? Oh, it was $2 extra for a basket. The food was very good as was the Mexican Martini - I don't think they had any mixers - just alcohol. I could totally breathe fire.
I would probably go back because the food didn't set my mouth on fire...just the drinks!
If people tell me that they have never had Indian Food, I start them off at The Clay Pit. I don't do the lunch buffet, I take people for dinner and order a la carte.
The restaurant is located on the southside of Beltline east of Midway. The restaurant looks as if it were built to be a Blackeyed Pea.
Try the stuffed Naan. Naan is a flat bread, sort of like a pita but larger. I like the naan stuffed with onions. I also like the naan with spinach and paneer (a soft, fresh cheese sort of like ricotta). You can order an assortment of three types but don't order it unless you are there with more than two or three people (unless you want to carry it home).
Order anything "korma". Korma is a cream sauce made from almonds and cashews. Anything "korma" is wonderful.
Order a curry. Many people think that "curry" can only taste like the curry powder sold at the grocery story. Like chili powder mixes , curry is a spice blend that can be very different based on the region it comes from. Think of the difference between a Ft Worth Chili Powder and a New Mexico Chili Powder. Curry is like that too. http://en.wikipedia.or...
Order something with paneer in it. They do a spinach and paneer entree that is very good. Korma with paneer is pretty good, too.
Periodically the Clay Pit will do a weekend special menu that is buffet based. They always offer something a little different than they do from the menu.
Our service was great! Very attentive and even a little quirky, kept the meal interesting.
Here are some tips:
Favorite thing I tasted = Samosa (Both chicken and beef)
Family style so you won't leave hungry
Vast menu
Buffet-style parties are offered in the bar area
Kingfish Indian beer is tasty
Best Naan = garlic selection
Great place for groups
Split the bill and even the appetizer price without us asking
Adequate parking
Patio dining available
Entrees are around $16 for a dish with meat
My wife and I tried this place because we had a coupon, and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The place is not a typical Indian place, more of fusion in terms of atmosphere and menu. But I was pleased with the dish I got and overall it was a good experience. The restaurant is not as elegant as most Indian places and struck me as a cheap imitation of the real thing. But the food was solid, if not spectacular, so I have no real complaints. It is what it is. You can get a decent meal here for about the same price as at a "real" Indian restaurant.
After craving Indian food for a solid month, I finally made it to Clay Pit. The atmosphere was relaxed, although I could see it being a pretty busy place on the weekends. Our server was very attentive and seemed to be around whenever we needed something. The chicken tikka masala was good (I would have liked it to be a little more flavorful) but the kitchen had no problem making it spicier per my request. I was also a fan of the naan, and the chips and sauce were a nice touch. The food was surprisingly good, and although I've had better, I would definitely return.
I was totally expecting to barely tolerate this place...but my apprehensions proved false....yay!! I live for yummy Indian food!
Initially, I was mostly afraid it would all be too Westernized.
However, everything tasted pretty authentic or at least pleasing to the palate except the tikka masala...probably diners should stay away from that but everything else especially the curries and veggies were delicious!
I am still thinking about how good the Tandoori chicken turned out, completely tender and succulent.
And, I was pleasantly surprised at the greatness of their mango lassi.
The ambiance is stylish and trendy yet laid back enough that you can really enjoy yourself and the wait staff is very attentive.
We ate buffet style so the meal was more than filling and the variety you get to choose from just makes your delightful dining experience all the more FUN.
My first time here has convinced me I need to schedule a return visit pronto if only to try Leslie P.'s aforementioned Mango Margarita.
Three and a half stars. I brought my cousin here because she always raves about the Clay Pit in Austin.
Overall, it was good, but I agree, it was kind of like the PF Changs of Indian. We started with the naan sampler, and I didn't like any of them. I forget what all was in them, but there was a garlic one that had like 80 cloves of garlic on each piece, one that was stuffed with potatoes, one that was stuffed with spinach, I believe. Just give me plain naan any day. None of the sauces were terribly exciting.
I don't remember exactly what dishes we had for dinner, but they were all a'ight. Some dishes came with much larger portions than others. It was kind of expensive.
In general, I prefer more authentic places; sometimes the trendy American version is cool just because the decor of the restaurant is so fun, but this place was just kind of meh. And it was SUPER cold outside and we were seated next to the door, so that became very annoying anytime someone would open the door and we would freeze for a few seconds.
I wouldn't be opposed to going back, but when it's up to me, I'll probably choose a more authentic place. Oh and I just saw another review that said they had a buffet...that would definitely be worth checking out if I were ever around for that.
Clay Pit is basically the Pei Wei or P.F. Changs of Indian food. It's been Americanized to match our not-so-sophisticated tastes, but what can I say? I like Clay Pit just as much as the hole-in-wall Indian joint down the street from my school. Maybe that makes me a sell out but I can handle that. Before meals they give you free fried pita chips with three different dipping sauces. One is mint, and I forget what the other two are because I basically gorge myself on the mint sauce and don't have time to bother with the other two. I love me some free starters!
The tikka masala at Clay Pit is a little bit too red/orange for its own good but it tastes just fine. Definitely not the most authentic tikka masala ever created but then again tikka masala is not a dish native to India so I suppose looking for "legit" Indian tikka masala is never gonna happen. Also, before I actually began to appreciate Indian food I ordered one of their Indian pizzas which wasn't bad. Clay Pit can cater to both experienced Indian restaurant eaters and the most picky unadventurous as well.
Clay Pit is definitely one of a kind. There does not exist another modern, clean, semi-expensive, dining out Indian restaurant in Dallas.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY.
We went here for a Mother's Day dinner. The service was off-the-charts awful. The food was decent, but nothing to rave about. I wouldn't bother coming here ever again - not for Indian food. I'd go to India Palace for that (see my review on India Palace).
I could see the buffet being a better experience, since you're required to serve yourself. But find other options if you're considering this place for dinner.
My taste buds heart Clay Pit.
The Goods:
Pita Chips and Dips: Free. You get three sauces to dip your chips in. Awesomeness.
Samosas: We ordered the combo, one chicken, one veggie: both yummy.
King Fisher: Indian Beer. It's a lager with great flavor.
Mango Margarita: It was on the rocks and tasty.
Tin Baar Sampler: We ordered the chicken sampler, and it came with three sauces; tikka masala, cream of garlic, and cream of spinach. Mmmmm.
Grilled Jumbo Shrimp: HUGE and scrumptious.
Naan: Free with the meal. We ordered the garlic Naan, so we would be safe from vampires during dinner.
I have been to Clay Pit twice, and both times the food has been outstanding. On Wednesday nights, they've got a guy with a sitar playing live. I dig the live sitar music while I drink my King Fisher beer and munch on samosas. The prices are on the high side, but you do get a plate full of food, Naan, and chips and dips.
Play that funky music, sitar man.
I went there again, because my friend had a gift certificate. The food was OK, but the service was so bad it ruined the entire experience. We got there ten minutes before they closed for the lunch hour and were entirely prepared to go to a different restaurant if necessary. The hostess was really sweet and told us we were still in time for lunch, and it wasn't a problem at all.
The waitress was a different story. She seemed to hate either us or her own life. She was pretty hostile about everything, so we got the buffet instead of offering off the menu so it would be less work for her. I've been here before, and I remember them having a lot of special teas and lassis, so when she asked me what I wanted to drink, I asked for a menu. She angrily said, "We only serve Coke fountain drinks." I didn't want a Coke fountain drink, and she clearly did not want to bring me a menu, so I just asked for water. She then proceeded to tell me about one kind of tea they have and also the mango lassi. I still don't understand why she couldn't bring me a menu.
This woman, specifically, ruined our lunch experience so much that I downgraded it to two stars. It should really be three stars for food and one star for service. The average, two stars, means I'll never eat here again unless someone else is buying and really has their heart set on eating here.
This place is highly overrated. My friends love it, and I secretly resent them for making me come… Read more »
Ok, ok, it's "whitewashed". oh well.
I love their food! The buffet is awesome. I am a big fan of the veggie korma and the tikka masala. The soups are always good too. Rica and naan are spot on.
Excellent decor and tons of yummy options here. I've only been for dinner and the portion sizes were great for sharing, however we did have to ask for extra sauce to dip our naan in. We had attentive service (it was mostly empty on a Sunday night) and the food came out relatively quickly.
I'd love to go back for the buffet and to try a wider variety of plates.
Good food, a bit over priced. Service wasn't all that good. Owner/manager, pay attention - you'll lose it if you don't get the Customer service down.
Well, I'd have given this restaurant a 5 star rating if they still had the older management. The management changed about a year ago and ever since then, the food hasn't been up to the mark.
The decor and ambiance is amazing though. Staff is good.
It'd be better if they improved the quality of the food.
Clay Pit is an Indian inspired large scale (not hole-in-the-wall) restaurant off Belt-line. It doesn't have the authenticity of other Indian restaurants around, but is still well decorated and has nice ambiance. I've read a few criticisms of it's non-indianness, and I'm not sure that is entirely fair. Most of us go to large scale "Mexican" restaurants around town and don't criticize them for their lack of strict identification with Mexican fare. I think Clay Pit might be the Indian equivalent of such a place.
Our most recent trip to Clay Pit was a great deal. We purchased a $25 "gift certificate" off of http://restaurant.com - and while they usually cost $10, http://restaurant.com has been offering discounts through several outlets recently and we picked ours up for $3 (I've seen them for $2). In order to use the "gift certificate", you must spend $35. With drinks (which clay pit allows to count toward your total), that was easy. Also, clay pit takes part in AA's dining program. So if you have a frequent flyer account, sign up with their dining program, and use a registered credit card, you also get miles for the money you spend at Clay Pit. Moving on...
We ordered the mixed appetizer plate with samosas, paneer, and something else whose name escapes me. We chose it over the paneer alone, which turned out a good choice. The table next to us ordered the paneer alone ($9.95) and received three pieces. We ordered the mix ($9.95) and received two pieces, plus two samosas and two of the other yummy thing.
After such a large appetizer (for two people), we opted for splitting a dish, the pistachio and date stuffed chicken at about $16. The chicken was sliced into four thick medallions and served atop the corresponding sauce. it was tasty enough, but I would opt for something else next time around. The sauce was very mellow, though nice, but didn't give us enough to finish off our two orders of naan ($1.95 each), so I asked for a side of tikka masala sauce. This 10 oz. portion of sauce gave us plenty to dip our naan in, but set us back $4.95. As the tikka masala sauce was not my favorite in that category, I won't be doing that again. And, as others have mentioned, each of these dishes were weak on spice. We ordered medium and I couldn't even taste that they were spicy.
We each ordered a draft Shiner Bock, which were about $4.25. In total, we had the drinks, the appetizer, the main course, the naan, and the side of tikka masala, and the total we spent (including the cost of the gift certificate and tax and tip) was less than $30.
Clay Pit gets three stars because it's somewhere between two-stars and four-stars for me (see below). If it was cheaper, it'd be a four. Without the gift-certificates and perks, I would probably choose somewhere else in the future.
My rating system (for the curious):
Five Stars - Fantastic. I'd go often if I could.
Four Stars - Really good. It's likely I'll return.
Three Stars - Good, but I won't seek it out for a return visit.
Two Stars - I won't go again. This could be due to food, price, atmosphere, whatever.
One Star - I won't go again and I suggest everyone follow suit.
Yeah, totally not worth driving out to. Food wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't anything to write home about. Very bland, not spicy (which you should expect if you go out to eat Indian). Also, a bit on the expensive side since the food wasn't worth eating. I miss Devon St in Chicago...boo hoo :(
Wow, Nice Look'n Indian Restaurant! I'm gonna say the same for the food too! The spiced up chips served with the tamarind, mint, and tomato sauces were pretty good. The mint kinda seemed a little bland, but I loved the sweet tamarind sauce. For our meals we had the sweet and tasty Mango Chicken Curry and the spicy Tikka Masala. Mmmm, Yum-O! Also, try the Mango Lemonade it's so refreshing!
The service was pretty good. He filled our glasses before they got empty, boxed up our left overs, and split up our checks, but nevertheless you could tell that the server didn't want to be there, so tipped well. I hope he had a better night.
Mike is correct - this is not traditional Indian food. It is definitely Indian, but modernized a bit. The interior is chic and upscale, and has a beautiful water sculpture out front.
This 'modern' comment may sound like a bad thing, but it definitely isn't. The proof of this is the ownership (Indian folks) but also the patrons. I've been a dozen times, and each time the population is 50%+ folks from that particular subcontinent. Good news, always!
The food is solid - they have tons of curry as well as tandoori dishes all over. There are even 9 types of naan! The garlic rocks; my girl likes the cream cheese, since it helps cut some of the heat.
I'm always excited to bop down to Addison for some great Indian food, and this place ranks right up there with the best, in my opinion.
This chain Indian restaurant has a bit of a modern/clean take on your typical Indian buffet, but I can't give it higher than a 3 because it isn't really authentic. The food is surprisingly good for being an Americanized version of ethnic food, as the unique twists are pretty good. The naan bar is pretty bland, as it tastes like thick nachos with assorted toppings that you can pick out. Soups are pretty good, and the veggies are good. The best dish is the lamb in coconut milk. Overall, it is a good attempt at fancier Indian, but I still prefer traditional, stronger flavored Indian cuisine.
Before I say anything else, I must say that this is NOT traditional Indian food. It is Indian food with a contemporary twist. So if you go to the Clay Pit expecting traditional food, you might be a little disappointed. Then again, you might be surprised.
The food is really tasty, there's a lot of variety to choose from, and the staff is more than willing to customize the dishes to your liking. The atmosphere is very nice; stylish, comfortable, and worldly. If you're in the mood, they have a great selection of wines (including wines from India), as well as some very interesting mixed drinks.
i've been to CP for the weekend lunch buffet, where they've highlighted the regional cuisines of India. on one visit, they featured Bihari cuisine which is mostly vegan....although there were some fish and mutton dishes, which i thought were delicious. call to find out when they'll schedule special weekend buffets, if you're a fan of regional cuisine. the regular weekday buffet offers more chicken dishes, with an occasional lamb or goat entree. i enjoy the saag paneer, vegetable korma, and tandoori chicken...always finish with some fresh fruit and mango custard. overall, a good performer (but i haven't tried other Metroplex area restaurants featuring Indian food). usually, i've been at the back of the Taj Mahal Market in Richardson, waiting in the food vendor's queue for some pani puri and other snacks, while shopping for groceries!
Somehow i gave this 5 stars, but ment to give it one...my mistake...
Being that im an indian..and I know my indian food... lol
I found this place to be as us indians call it...WHITEWASHED...
that means the spices and flavors were tamed down to accomidate less palitable people..or people who dont like spicey real indian food..
most of the curry dishes were ok, but not the real thing...sorta mellow...
If you havent tried indian food and want to take a sample but not jump in to indian all the way, this is the place for you. its ok..prices are fair..
This is to Indian food what Tex-mex is to Mexican food. That being said, I like the food, the Korda is really good and the lunch buffet is not unreasonable at all. I like it for what it is and it is much better than most of the places around it.
If you want really good indian, go to Irving or Richardson, but this is a nice interpretation on Americanized Indian food.
I honestly think that this is the best Indian food in Dallas. (Now I have had better, but not in Dallas Fort Worth). Of course, as an Indian restaurant there are plenty of vegetarian options. They have a buffet for lunch, but at dinner they have a sitar player to set the mood. I always enjoy this place.
I would call this Americanized Indian food, but it is extremely well crafted. Their grilled meats are generally tender, and they are able to do some incredible things with chicken.
The service is exceptional, and they have some great homemade cocktails. I especially like their Spicy Infused Martini, which combines homemade mango/ginger infused vodka with chili peppers and Indian spices. It has a great chili pepper kick to smooth out the sweetness.
The owners are constantly around to check up on the guests, and its actually worthwhile to sign up for their email newsletter- they send out recipes to their signature dishes.
Clay Pit is costlier than most Indian places I go to, and its a bit of a drive from Irving, which has a large Indian presence, but its worth all of that for the experience.
I heard about this place so much that I had a lot of expectation about this place. The place has a really nice ambience (good job on that) and I was really impressed by the service (two thumps up on that too), but when the food came over... it was just another typical Indian restaurant!!!
The food was OK, nothing mentionable. I might go there again but not with the expectation to have a good meal. Seriously.
3 1/2 stars for Clay Pit. Service is spotty at times, the food is Americanized - but good and consistent. Of all the DFW area Indian restaurants, this is the one we prefer - hands down
I'm not sure what was wrong with the Clay Pit about two years ago, but boy did they pull their socks up! This place got way better than it used to be. They have decent portions and are great for buffets or for regular meals. What I love is the fresh naan they get to your table when you're in the buffet (I feel this should be a bare minimum at any Indian restaurant anywhere). They have a decent selection for buffet and usually swap it around. We're big fans of their dal, paneer and chicken tikka masala (I think a good yardstick of any Indian restaurant is how good they make their chicken tikka masala!). I think they have quality food and reasonable prices - give it a whirl if you like Indian.
Our friend was running late because of traffic, and the server and supervisor constantly pressured us to order before he got there. We already ordered appetizers and were waiting for them. There were several empty tables. The apps and chips were fine. My friend did not get what he ordered. We did not actually taste our dinners because we could not get past the roach baked into our naan. In the parking lot, I peaked into the kitchen. The door was open and right outside, there was a massive pile of trash covering the ground. The tiny bit of the kitchen I saw did not look clean.
Huge selection, the menu can be overwhelming! You can pretty much choose a sauce that you like and match it with a meat or veg or potato. The service is good, but it is a bit more expensive than most Indian restaurants, so don't be surprised!
Addison, TX
Category: Indian
Dallas, TX
Category: Indian
Dallas, TX
Category: Indian
Richardson, TX
Category: Indian
Plano, TX
Category: Indian
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
